Abstract
No one was in doubt as to who the primary addressee was when the African Bishops issued their strong words from the Synod in the Vatican in October 2009. Over the last couple of years the Catholic Church in Zimbabwe has suffered from various kinds of restrictions and threats from the Mugabe regime, all with the purpose of weakening its critical voice against those in power. This is seen as a symptom of the suffering that the majority of Zimbabwean people experience. In their statement, the Synod of Bishops moved beyond the usual request for repentance and went straight to say: quit the arena. They could just as well have used the term “regime change,” for that is what they really meant, and that was what the Zimbabwean bishops said outright in a statement a year earlier. “Regardless of whether he is a former ‘liberator’ or an ‘Elder African Statesman,’ he must be forced to step down … No solution to the crisis in Zimbabwe is possible as long as he is there.”1
Many Catholics in high office have fallen woefully short in their performance in office. The synod calls on such people to repent, or quit the public arena and stop causing havoc to the people and giving the Catholic Church a bad name.
—From the statement issued by the Synod of Bishops for Africa, October 23, 2009
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Notes
The titles of two recent books illustrate the growing scepticism. The most critical position has been taken by the Zambian economist Dambisa Moyo in her book Dead Aid: Why Aid is Not Working and How There is Another Way for Africa (London: Allen Lane, 2009), whereas a collection of essays with the title Africa Beyond Aid reflects on the exit of donors and Africa’s own potentials after the end of the present aid regime: Holger Bernt Hansen, Greg Mills, and Gerhard Wahlers, eds., Africa Beyond Aid (Johannesburg: Brenthurst Foundation, 2008).
For a short summary of the Paris Declaration and for further references, see Guido Ashoff, “Implementing the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness: Where Does Germany Stand?” Briefing Paper 5, German Development Institute, Bonn, 2008.
For an outline of the Danish policy toward Zimbabwe in 2002, see Holger Bernt Hansen, “Partnership Visions and Realities: Donors, Democracy and Good Governance in the New Aid Regime,” in The New Partnership for Africa’s Development(NEPAD). Internal and External Visions, eds. Rachel Hayman, Kenneth King, and Simon McGrath (Edinburgh: Centre of African Studies, University of Edinburgh, 2003).
Lauren Ploch, “Zimbabwe” (RL 32723) CRS Report for Congress, Congressional Research Service, Washington, March 11, 2005.
In 2004 the new American ambassador to South Africa, Jendayi Frazer, called for the building of a “coalition of the willing” to push for regime change. See Peta Basildon, “US Seeks ‘Coalition’ to Force Zimbabwe Change,” The Independent, August 25, 2004.
Ingrid Melander, “EU Extends Zimbabwe Travel Ban, Demands Mugabe Quit,” Reuters, December 9, 2008; and “EU Extends List of Banned Mugabe Allies and Companies,” Reuters, January 23, 2009.
Regarding the parallel between Kenya and Zimbabwe, see Holger Bernt Hansen, “Elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe: Similarities and Paradoxes” (in Danish), udenrigs(the Danish foreign policy magazine) no. 2 (2008).
For an overview of documents and plans dealing with an economic recovery in Zimbabwe, see Brent Cloete and Greg Mills, “Scan of Zimbabwe Economic Recovery Literature,” Brenthurst Discussion paper 4, Johannesburg, April 2009.
Drafted in January 2005 by a Senior Level Forum on Development Effectiveness in Fragile States under the auspices of OECD/DAC and field tested in nine countries before the endorsement in 2007. OECD, Principles for Good Engagement in Fragile States and Situations, Paris, 2007.
OECD, “Principles for Effective International Engagement in Zimbabwe,” Interim Country Report, Paris, 2006. The pilot was carried out by a core donor group including the main donors active in Zimbabwe.
For the overall pilot project, see Oxford Policy Management, “Support to Piloting the Principles for Good International Engagement in Fragile States,” Synthesis Report, Oxford, September 2006.
For a useful account of the donors’ response to the protracted crisis, see Kate Bird and Stefanie Busse, “Re-thinking Aid Policy in Response to Zimbabwe’s Protracted Crisis,” Overseas Development Institute Discussion Paper, London, 2007.
An excellent overview has been provided by the Zimbabwean economist John Robertson in his paper “The Zimbabwe Economy. Rebuilding Productive Activity” (presented at the AEGIS International Africa Conference in Leipzig, Germany, June 4–7, 2009). See also Stuart Doran, “Zimbabwe’s Economy: A 2009 Report Card,” Brenthurst Discussion Paper 8, Johannesburg, October 2009.
See OECD, “Principles for Effective International Engagement in Zimbabwe,” 2006.
The European Commission’s Delegation to the Sudan, Humanitarian Plus Program(HPP) (note dated, presumably 2007). “Aide-Mémoire—Donor Models to Funding Transition,” prepared for the Second International Meeting on Good Humanitarian Donorship, October 21–22, 2004.
See International Crisis Group, “Zimbabwe: Engaging the Inclusive Government,” April 20, 2009, 10.
Alice Chimora, “Zimbabwe: The Elders Intervene in Humanitarian Crisis,” May 8, 2009, http://en.afrik.com/article15664.
See OECD, Principles for Good Engagement in Fragile States and Situations, Paris, 2007;
OECD, “Principles for Effective International Engagement in Zimbabwe,” 2006
Oxford Policy Management, “Support to Piloting the Principles,” September 2006;
World Bank (Harare Office), Operational Guidelines. Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund, July 1, 2008. The Hague Principles are in Zimbabwe called the Five Principles.
Interview, June 23, 2009. See OECD, Principles for Good Engagement in Fragile States and Situations, Paris, 2007;
OECD, “Principles for Effective International Engagement in Zimbabwe,” 2006;
Oxford Policy Management, “Support to Piloting the Principles,” September 2006;
World Bank (Harare Office), Operational Guidelines. Zimbabwe Multi-Donor Trust Fund, July 1, 2008. The Hague Principles are called the Five Principles in Zimbabwe.
International Crisis Group, Crisis Watch, October 1 and November 1, 2009.
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© 2011 Hany Besada
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Hansen, H.B. (2011). Donors and the Crisis in Zimbabwe: Experiences and Lessons Learned. In: Besada, H. (eds) Zimbabwe. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230116436_12
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